The old dog is not just alive but on frothily compelling form, finds Michael
Hogan.

New Tricks (BBC One) was back and it had clearly been learning lessons from its channel stablemate and fellow ratings-grabberDeath In Paradise. When regular detective work gets a bit dreary, simply fly the cops to a sunny location teeming with palm trees, holiday brochure hotel terraces, luxury yachts and lissome locals.

This tenth (yes, tenth) series started with a two-parter entitled “The Rock” – not referring to wrestler-turned-action hero Dwayne Johnson but Iberian outcrop Gibraltar.

We opened with detail-obsessed DI Brian “Memory” Lane (Alun Armstrong) punching a hotshot colleague he suspected of covering up a death in custody deep in Lane’s past. He was duly suspended from duty and ordered to face a disciplinary hearing – which it turns out was the sly old stager’s intention all along, as he wanted the case reopened.

Meanwhile, the rest of the UCOS team followed the trail of a mysterious Argentinian pistol recovered from the Thames. Not only did it appear to have been fired in the Falklands War but it was also matched to two unsolved murders, including one on the Rock of Gibraltar three decades ago. The gang flew out to the Mediterranean, where they strolled across the glossy airport concourse with wheely suitcases, like a senior version of The Apprentice.

Here they began to uncover a conspiracy involving cocaine smuggling, military corruption, high-stakes gambling, Lego models and misbehaving monkeys.

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There were the usual wheezing foot chases and dusting down of hoary one-liners as aged as the veteran cast. “I thought you'd given her the old Spanish fiddler,” quipped DI Gerry Standing (Dennis Waterman). “El Bow.” He and Lane were last seen locked in a shipping container and dangling from a crane.

The exotic location even bought a smile to the face of stroppy boss DS Sandra Pullman (Amanda Redman) as she flirted with a smoothly sinister local businessman (Vincent Regan). Applying the immutable TV law of “most famous guest actor turns out to be the baddie”, expect Regan to be in handcuffs by the time this case is concluded next week.

This is a transitional phase for the much-loved series, as its cast gets gradually replaced by slightly younger models. The wryly charismatic Dennis Lawson has already taken over from crumpled James Bolam. Nicholas Lyndhust soon fills Armstrong’s comfy shoes, while Redman will be succeeded by Tamzin Outhwaite towards the end of this run. By September, Waterman will be the only surviving member of the original line-up.

On this frothily compelling form, there seems to be life in the old dog yet. Whether the hit drama can survive the departure of two more key personnel, however, remains to be seen. Let’s hope the Beeb won’t have to give this much-loved series the old Spanish fiddler.